Building an Office Wardrobe
The general American work setting encourages "business casual" attire. However, many young men entering the job market do not understand it's exact definition. Below, we describe the basic components of a traditional business casual wardrobe. Shirts Only collared shirts are appropriate for the business casual workplace. This includes, in order of formality: pop-overs, polos, sports shirts, and dress shirts. Formality is dictated by the office culture, day of the week, and day’s activities. * Pop-overs ''border on being too casual for most office settings, as they are often associated with beach wear. However, they are generally acceptable for hot weather on days with no client interaction. * ''Polos ''are generally appropriate for most office jobs. In more relaxed environments, they are even appropriate for client interaction, as long as they are worn clean and not heavily wrinkled. However, PutThisOn’s Jesse Thorn disagrees on the office appropriateness of the polo, stating: “Don’t wear a polo shirt anywhere you wouldn’t wear shorts.http://putthison.com/post/283365444/businesscasual” * ''Sports shirts are a very safe option for almost all work places. They approach the formality of office dress shirts, but are more relaxed. Sports shirts are typically hemmed shorter than dress shirts, so that they can be worn untucked without excess fabric falling past the waist. They typically feature '' ''more casual and bolder patterns and are sized by letter (ex: S, M, L) whereas dress shirts are listed by neck size and sleeve length. * Dress Shirts''' fall on the more formal end of the spectrum, and are most appropriate for client interactions and meetings. In some business casual settings, they might be perceived as too stiff or formal for everyday wear. In such scenarios, opt out of more traditionally formal details such as French cuffs and monogrammed initials. Pants * '''Jeans are the most casual of business casual pants and might not even be tolerated in some offices. Many work settings allow jeans on Fridays provided there is no client interaction, but every individual should check both official and unofficialdress codes first. When worn at the office, jeans should be of a dark washandfeature minimal detailing, such as loud stitching at the pockets or other embroidery. There should be no visible holes or and minimal (if any) fading. The fit and length should be similar to those of other office pants. * ''Khakis ''fall in the middle of the spectrum, similarly to polos for shirts. * Slacks '''should be free of winkles. Shoes Sneakers should never be worn at the office, although some keep a pair in their bag or in their desk to wear outside of the office. * ''Loafers ''lean on the far casual side of the formality spectrum and should be reserved for casual Fridays. * ''Bucks ''are also relatively casual, and are not uncommon during the warmer seasons. * ''Dress shoes ''are typically not distinguished based on formality in the United States. Therefore, it is usually a matter of personal style whether to wear the more casual open-laced derby/blucher or closed-laced oxford/balmoral. * ''Dress boots '''''may substitute for dress shoes, provided that the soles are reasonably thin enough. Theuppers should not be mistakable for those of work boots. Loafers.jpeg|Loafers|link=http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/mens-loafers-slip-ons Bucks.jpg|Bucks|link=http://www.orvis.com/p/cambridge-dirty-bucks/7g51 Oxderb.jpg|Dress Shoes|link=http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?7185-shoes-oxford-and-derby Dress boots.jpg|Dress Boots|link=http://www.esquire.com/the-side/style-guides/dress-boots-0112-grenson#slide-6 References Category:Guides